Improvement in combined corn-planter and cultivator



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4'AARON G.-AIKIN, or lso1\ flnur on, OHIO.

Letters Patent lira-93,510, datedAugust 10, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINED CORN-PLANTR AND CULTIVATOR.-

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patexit and making part of the same.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON G. AIKIN, of Somert'ou in the county of Belmont, and State'of Ohio, have in'. vented a new-and improved Combined Corn-Planter and Gnltivator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the eon.

l and teeth as adapted for use in connection with my improved instrument.

'l he object of this invention is to provide fonpublic use, in connection with corn-planters, an iu'lproved-def vice for raising and lowering the plows, rollers, 85o., together with an improved feed-regulator, and an improvement in the construction of the covering-device, the whole beingso constructed and arranged as to adapt it for 'convenient use either as a cltivator or corn-planter.

In the drawings- A A represent the wheels;

B, the axle C, the draught-pole; and j D D? D2 D, that part of the'frame which is permanently attached to the axle and draught-pole, and is employed whether the instrument be used for planting or cultivating.

E E represent two parallel bars, articulated to the ends of the cross-barB, and extending back over the axle, between guides G G, which allow their rearend to rise and fall in a vertical line, but not to delect'to one side or the other. i

F F are-the. plow-standards, attached to the rear ends of thebars E E, and vertically adjustable `by means of a series ot' holes in the standards, through which they can 'be bolted to the bars at any required height.v

H H' are the opening-plows;

I I, the seed-boxes;

J J, the covering-plows;

K, a transversely-vibrating rod, connecting and op erating the slides in the lbottom of the seed-box that distribute the 'seediplld K', a vertical rod inside of the seed-conductor, oonnected at its upper end to the vibrating rod K, pivoted at k, and supporting a seed-drop, k', at its lower end, which is 'vibiated laterally by the movement of the rod'K.

Projecting downwardfrom the front end of the bars D D, are two studs, d d', supported by 'suitable braces, b b.'

i To the lower end of each studis articulated a long bar, M, extending back under the axle, and between the seed-boxes, and having its rear end formedinto a bearing for the axle N' of two broad-rimmed covering,- wheels or rollers N N, running ldirectly behind the plows H J. l

A cross-bar, M', connects the two bars M M, near their rear end.

Above this cross-bar, and supported upon standards m m., projecting up from it, is the drivers seat Ol.

B is a bar, running forward from the top of the standards m m to a rock-bar, 0, to which it is properly articulated. 4

Cz is a foot-rest for the driver. l

The rock-.harhears in the tulov .beams E E, and is capable of being turned on its axis by means of a handlever, L, in a position convenient for the driver.

Attached to the rock-bar, directly above the two beams D D1, are cam-arms or eceentrics, i i, which, when'the bar is Vrocked on 'its axis, come in contact with the beams below, and raise the two bars JE E, and

the plows, seed-box, and apparatus connected therewith, so as to clear the plows from the ground.

The cams are so curved and placed with relation to the rock-bar and beams below, that when the handle 'of the lever L is" thrown down against the axle, the lower end or bearing-point ofthe cam runs forward of the vertical line of its upper end, and forms a simple vand convenient lock which prevents the frame E, plows,

&c., from dropping again till the handle is raised by the-driver.

The upper side ofthe beams D Dl may be properly protected by irouplates, to prevent being worn by the cams.

P is a lever, by which the driver cauat any moment operate the seeding-apparatus by hand, when the wheelgear is out of vorder or ungeared.' l Q is another lever, likewise projecting up from the rod K, and passing through a fulcrum-plate, q, by means .of which the seeding-apparatus is operated mechanically by powerjobtained from the right wheel.

The hub of the right wheel is provided with a cogrim, c, which operates in connection with a small pinion, o', on the end of a short shaft,`R, the pinion run ning loosely-on the shaft, and being used in connection with a sliding iction-clutch, lr, which can be caused to engage with or diseugage from it by means of a sliding rod, s, and lever S.

At the inner end ofthe shaft 1i, and at right angles with it, is a short rock-shaft, T, the supporting plate of which is fastened across the upper side of the axle.

Ou the front'eiidiof the rock-shaft is fixed a lozengeshaped arln, a, which is rst thrown to one side and then to the other by a bent arm or cam, a', on the end of shaft R, as the latter revolves, thus rocking the rod .l rapidly and continuously on its axis, as long as the wheels e c are in gear.

A. vertical slot is made in the rear end of the shaft T, and through this slot extends an upright bent rod, u, adjustable vertically by means of a set-screw, e, in the sideof the shaft.

The lower end of the rod u is bent back to a nearly horizontal position, and formed into a loop through which extends the lever Q. l

It is evident that by adjusting the rod u up or down in its socket, the loop, which comes in contact with the lever, and operates it as the shaft T is roeked,will be moved further from or nea-rer to the fulcrum of the lever, and will throw the lever more or less, according to the vertical adjustment of the rod, thereby enabling the operator to regulate perfectly the movement of the slides that plant the seed.

In the construction of this improved machine, it will be found best to bend the upper end of the lever S in the form of an elbow toward the lever L, so that as the latter is thrown down, in order to raise` the plows out of the ground, it will strike the former, knock it back, ungear the wheels c c', and prevent the spilling ofthe seed while the machine is going to or returning lrom the field. v

In order that the draught-poles M M and wheels N N may be raised simultaneously' with the plows and seed-boxes, I run a stout bar, V, across under the poles M M, from the lower end of one standard, F, to that ot' the other.

The lever-fulcra q q' may be attached to and supported by this cross-bar. l

Braces W' W, adjustable by means of screws and nuts '1v zt-,may extend from the plows or standards forward and upward to the side-pieces E, so that by adjusting the nuts, the draught of the plows may bc regulated.

The covering-plows lJ. J are supported from the standards F F, by means of horizontal arms n n, bent down at both ends to form Han ges, through which they can be bolted to the standards and the plows.

The plows themselves are cast or made with three prongs, fr yv el, all springing from alcommon head, e, which is bolted to the end of rod n, as shown'in iig. 1. The prong v' descends. nearly straight to the ground,

curving forward a little at its lower end. The other l two prongs, i: c, spring outward and backward from the head c?, and then benddown and forward to the ground. This construction is fully shown in thc drawgWhen it is desired to employ this instrument as a cult-ivatr alone, the forward end of the bars E E can be discolmected from the cross-bar D, and the poles M M can be separated from the studs d 1,afterwhich the entire apparatus, consisting of the parts N N', M M, E, I, J, H, F, K, O, L, Q, B, C', can be detached and removed together, leaving only the draught-wheels, their axle, the tongue, and the frame D Dl D2 D".

Cultivator-bars and teeth, constructed as shown in fig. '3, may now be connectedto the studs d d, and the instrument becomes a convenient, light, and simpleI eultivator.

The change from planter to cultivator, or vice versa., can be effected by a single hand in less than two minutes, when the machine is kept in the proper order.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-ent, isv 1. 1n .connection with the shaft R, slide K, lever Q, and rock-shaft T, constructed to operate as described, the upright bent arm u, when made vertically adjustable, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The device for raising and depressing the plows, seedbox, &c., the same consisting of the rock-har O, lever L, and eceentrics tz', the latter being so constructed as that when the lever L is thrown down against the axle, the bearing-point of the eccentrics runs forward of the vertical line of its upper end, and forms a lock, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In connection with a seed-planter, and for the purpose of operating as a covering-plow, the plows J J, when constructed with the parts 4v v fu, and supported by the part n, all constructed and arranged substantially as described.

Witnesses: AARON G. AIKIN.

WASHINGTON Anny, Jonx B. AIKIN. 

